Improvement in bee-hives



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PATENT EEIcE.

ALFRED H. KLEPPER,

or MscATnvE, Town.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of -Letters Patent No. 119,366, datedSeptember 26, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. KLEPPER, of Muscatine, in the county ofMuscatine and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Bee-Hive, 'and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to male and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a vertical longitudinal Asection of my improved bee-hivetaken through the line x w, Fig, 2. Fig. 2 is a vert-ical cross-sectionof the same taken through the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondi ing parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved bee-hive, whichshall be simple in construction, effective in operation, and convenientin use, enabling the comb to be readily removed at any time and thecondition of the bees to be easily inspected whenever desired; and itconsists in the construction and arrangement of cerv t'ain parts of thehive, as hereinafter more fully described.

A are the side-boards of the hive, which are verand the forward part oftheir upper edges are beveled off or inclined, as shown in Fig. l. B isthe stationary part of the top or cover of the hive, which ishorizontal, and is securely attached to the horizontal parts of theupper edges ofthe side-boards A, and the forward edge of which projectsa little over the inclined parts of the top edges of said side-boards A,so as to overlap the beveled upper edge of the inclined detachable partC of the top or cover of the hive. The board or cover C rests upon theinclined parts of the edges of the side-boards A, and its lower edge,which is beveled upon its lower side, rests upon the eaves-board D,which projects over the forward end E of the hive. The end E isvertical, and is set back a little from the forward edges of theside-boards A, so as, in connection with the eaves-board D,to protectthe entrance of the hive from the weather. The lower edge of the frontend-board E does not extend down quite to the bottom-board F, a space,G, being left to serve as a passageway for the entrance and egress ofthe bees. The hive is divided into two compartments by a partition, H,which is placed at or near the angle of the upper edges of thesideboards A. The partition H does not extend quite to the bottom-boardF, a space, I, being left for the passage of the bees from one of saidcompartments to the other. J K are the permanent comb-bars, the ends ofthe lower ones J of which are attached to the side-boards A, and theupper ones K of which are attached to or are connected with cleats or aframe, L, attached to the sideboards A, front end-board E, andpartition-board H. M is a frame, which rests upon the cleats or frame L,and in which is set a glass plate, N, so that the condition of the beesmay be seen by simply removing the inclined detachable cover C. O arethe detachable comb-frames, the projecting inner ends of the top bars ofwhich enter and rest in a horizontal groove formed in thepartition-board H. The projecting outer ends of the top bars of theframes O rest upon a crossbar, l?, the ends of which enter and rest innotches formed in the upper ends of upright cleats Q at the saidcross-bar P, any desired number of the comb-frames may be convenientlyremoved. R is a horizontal partition, which rests upon cleats S attachedto the side-boards A, and which support the honey-boxes. The partition Rhas holes r formed through it, through which the bees pass into thehoney-boxes. T is a frame in which is set a glass plate, U, and whichrests against the forward edges of 'the partition It and of the verticalcleats Q. This enables the condition of the bees and the progress of thecombs to be conveniently seen when desired. The frame T is secured inplace at its upper edge by catches V pivoted to the side-boards A, andat its lower edge by a cleat, W, attached to the bottom Fin front ofsaid frame. X is the rear end-board, which is hinged at one of its sideedges to the end edge of one of the side-boards A, and is secured at itsother side edge to the end edge of the other side-board A by a hook andstaple, or eyebolt, or other convenient fastening.

The rear division of the hive contains the movable combs below andreceives two honey-boxes above. All of these communicate with eachother, and are easily accessible to the bees. The

boxes can easily be reached through the hinged board X either to see andremove insects, or, when the bee-s are driven by smoke to the front ofthe hive, to remove the honey. The front division of the hive containsbelow the stationary tached to the side-boards A, so that, by removingcombs for the use of the bees in Winter7 and above The front division orsection of the hive7 hava chamber through Which access is obtained toing,` the stationery comlrframes J K andthe transthe front of the hive,Which is lia-ble to be inparent frame M N made approachable by therefested with moths. A careful observation should movable cover C, asspecified. be frequently mande7 and when moths are discov- ALFRED H.KLEPPER. ered the5T should be instantly removed.

Having thus described ell that is necessary to Witnesses: e fullunderstanding of my invention7 what I es- W. H. STROHM, teem to be new,and desire to protect by Letters THEO. STEWART. (7) Patent, is-

